Curriculum Development

LISD Curriculum Development & Instructional Materials Use

LISD recognizes and values our community’s expectations for a strong educational program, especially in the area of curriculum and instruction. Because of this, in 2006 the LISD Board and Administration established a curriculum, instruction, and assessment division with a sole purpose of not only developing an LISD specific curriculum based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) but also implementing instructional strategies and resources to support student success. Additionally, the curriculum and instruction team provides professional learning focused on the LISD curriculum and experiences that deepen teachers’ expertise in the TEKS.

In LISD, instructional materials are used only as a resource. They are not the curriculum, and textbooks and instructional materials are utilized in our classrooms based on their alignment to the TEKS.

With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in 43 states, all Texas school districts face unprecedented challenges regarding curriculum and instructional materials. For instance, prior to 2009, instructional materials would only indicate alignment with specific state academic standards and were not marketed for a national set of standards because those did not exist. It was very clear to teachers and curriculum developers how materials were aligned specifically for their state.

Unfortunately, in an effort to be competitive, publishers market their materials with stickers and graphics stating they are aligned or support Common Core. These publishers do not publish texts just for Texas and use this as a marketing strategy to sell materials in the states that have adopted the Common Core.

Texas has not adopted the Common Core, and the Texas state standards remain the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). In fact, House Bill 462 prohibits the state from adopting the Common Core. Therefore, Lewisville ISD has not adopted and does not teach to Common Core.

While some instructional resources that address the TEKS also may overlap with the Common Core standards, they are by no means used as an attempt to implement the Common Core. In June 2014, former Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an opinion to House Bill 462 acknowledging there are overlapping concepts in the TEKS and CCSS. In this opinion, the legislative intent of HB 462 is stated, that it was not intended “to prevent the use of materials where the two standards may overlap,” but to “prohibit the outright adoption of the national common core standards.” Therefore, school districts are not in violation of the law when using instructional materials where the two standards overlap.

Who can I talk to if I am unhappy with the TEKS or think they look too much like Common Core?

The State Board of Education regularly reviews curriculum standards and makes revisions that all schools must implement. If you have any concerns about the TEKS, you can contact the SBOE via email at sboeteks@tea.state.tx.us.